Hagrid
by Marlicat
Summary: Who was he? Hagrid. Hagrid, with the big boar hound and the crossbow. Hagrid, with the big heart and wild beard. He loved Hogwarts, he loved animals, and he loved the students. Hagrid oneshots all put together as a tribute to our favorite half-giant.
1. Chapter 1

Who was he? Hagrid. Hagrid, with the big boar hound and the crossbow. Hagrid, with the big heart and wild beard.

As gamekeeper, he bought endless bottles of Slug-Repellent and watched generations be Sorted, grow up, and leave. He was, strangely, the first person to know about James and Lily- before Sirius, Remus, or Peter, even. He had watched the Woods as, during the third year of each generation, the oldest Wood broke their tailbone playing Quidditch. He always had a kind word for a student who was feeling a bit down, whether it was for Parvati Patil when she found out her crush thought she was weird, or for Lily Evans after her parents died in a mysterious car crash.

Hogwarts was Hagrid's home. It was where he belonged, and sometimes he thought it was funny that a half-giant living on a game-keeper's salary had a castle for a home. But then, it was really the grounds that mattered to him. Even when he'd been a student, that was where Hagrid had loved most to be.

Hagrid, like everyone, had dark days: when his dad died, Hagrid thought he would curl up in on himself and die of anguish. When he was expelled, all he could do was dry and think, Dad would be so ashamed! And Hagrid hated watching students leave. He didn't understand how they could leave Hogwarts, how they didn't just burst into tears and beg Dumbledore to let them stay. Hagrid befriended many students, but few thought to write him after they left. The Potters were two of the few who did. Lily and James wrote regularly, at first separately, then together, telling of lighthearted mischief and motorcycles, then proposals and weddings and pranks, then Harry and how everyone adored him and all the mischief he got up to (with the help of Sirius, who actually also wrote Hagrid once to apologize for a third-year prank involving Hagrid's rock cakes). When the Potters died, he thought he'd like to hold their tiny Harry in his arms and howl right along with him.

He was Hagrid. He loved Hogwarts, he loved animals, and he loved the students.


	2. Chapter 2

Sobbing.

Hagrid stops. Looking for the source of the distraught sounds, he recognizes the red hair gleaming only dimly in the scant light.

"Lily?"

The sobs choke back into a gasp. "Wh-who's there? H-hagrid?" She hiccups. Lily is curled up under the tree by the lake, tear streaks on her cheeks, and Hagrid sits down beside her and sets his Slug-Repellent to the side.

"Here now," Hagrid says, putting a giant hand on her shoulder. "Wha's got ye so upset?"

Lily buries her face into his overcoat and lets loose the disconsolate wail that had been building inside her. He hugs her softly and pats her hair.

"My- my _mum_! My _dad_! _Mummy, mummy_, oh God, Hagrid, Mum and Dad are- _are- dead!_" The last word is a scream, and she breaks into sobs, gasping and choking on tears.

Hagrid feels an unpleasant jolt. He knows Lily loves her parents, and from what she's told him of them, they are-were- good people and better parents. "Not- it wasn'-_him_, was it?"

"That's what I keep thinking," she rasps when she can stop choking. "But they don't know. A car crash- the Muggle policemen can't figure out what caused it- I've got a letter from the Ministry..." It is then that Hagrid notices the black envelope clutched tightly in her fist; he tugs it out, and it is crumpled.

_Dear Miss Evans,_

_We regret to inform you that your parents have died in a car collision. The Muggle authorities have yet to determine a cause, but magical authorities suspect the involvement of Death Eaters. Judging by our evaluations, the Muggle vehicle seemed to cease to work properly entirely in the middle of a Muggle highway. Many such "accidents" have occurred recently with very similar circumstances-_

Hagrid stops reading. They gave her "regrets" and a bunch of details she wouldn't care about at all. Hagrid tosses the letter aside and hugs Lily tighter.

"Me dad died in me second year," Hagrid says softly. "Tore me apart, it did. The death of family ain't the sort of sommat yeh get over- well, ever, really. But yeh'll see yer paren's again someday, Lily, an' fer now all yeh can do is yer best- you hear me?-" he pulls her chin up and looks her in the eyes. "-Yer very best ter make 'em _proud_. An' yeh got ter remember them an' everythin' they ever taught yeh, 'cause to do otherwise is just a shame."

And he lets her cry a little bit more before he picks her up and takes her to the castle.


End file.
